Current weather

Park will unveil its latest attractions

The Living History Park will debut its newest building during the annual Under the Crown event, which will be held Friday through Sunday.

The building is home to a village mercantile shop, located on its lower level, and a Windsor cabinet shop, located on the upper level.

“This is a dream we’ve had for years, to keep working on the village in the upper area of the park,” said Lynn Thompson, president of the Olde Towne Preservation Association.

The village mercantile will sell a variety of items including 18th century wear, children’s games and candy.

“It will be just like a general store during the 1700s,” said Thompson.

The Windsor cabinet shop will host demonstrations of wood carvings and wood items. Plans include having workshops in the shop.

The cabinet shop will also permanently house a special item, which is expected to be in place by this weekend’s event. Through a monetary donation, the park was able to acquire the 6-foot tall wheel lathe used in the movie The Patriot, Thompson said.

Having such a historically accurate and well-seen item at the park is exciting, she said.

“It was something we could have never done ourselves,” she said of the design. “People have done a lot of research and did it correctly. It’s really special and we’re excited to have it. How often do people get to sit next to something that was in such a great movie like The Patriot?”

In addition to the building’s debut, several other activities are planned for the annual event, which is set during the time the British occupied this area during the Revolution.

The special guests for this year’s Under the Crown are Lt. Gen. Lord Cornwallis and his wife. The event kicks off Friday with a dinner with Cornwallis and his wife. The dinner will feature wine, ale, different types of meats, vegetables and desserts. There will also be Colonial dancing.

Saturday, there will be a lady’s tea and fashion show in the barn around mid-afternoon hosted by Cornwallis’ wife. The men will gather in the tavern to speak with Cornwallis.

Sunday, there will be church services in the meeting house at 10:15 a.m.

Saturday and Sunday, there will be 18th century demonstrations throughout the park about a variety of topics including blacksmithing, spinning and weaving, children’s games, hunting and Colonial dance. All of the parks’ buildings will be open and there will be a concession stand.

Those who consider themselves to be Patriots should also be careful about expressing their opinion, warned Thompson.

“They must remember that we are under British rule,” she said. “You may get in trouble if you challenge some of these people. That’s a scenario that can play out throughout the day.”